Under a Willow Tree
by Llyza
Summary: Tsukimori left for England without telling Hino... What are their thoughts? How will she react? Pairing: LenxKaho I won't say anything more! Enjoy
1. Bye Bye my Life

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own La Corda d'Oro**

**This is the translation of my fic "Sous un Saule Pleureur" in french.**

**I thank **_**ariadne-chan**_** for the great great help with the translation and also, there is a few of her personal lines wich are improving this english version.**

Chapter 1 : Bye bye my life

**End of March**

**10 am : flight for England**

There he was... He was gone. As he tried to let go of all his sad thoughts, he turned his eyes on the window beside his first class seat. The plane was taking him further from a part of his life a little more every second.

He had decided to leave that part of him in one of those drawers in his memory, only to be opened and dwelled upon when forced by fate.

And would fate follow him to England?

No... No... He shouldn't think like that, not now that he's already left.

For the last time, Tsukimori Len allowed himself to dwell on the pictures of the past, all gentle and hurting at the same time, before he let go of them forever.

**F****LASH-BACK**

"_Tsukimori-kun, do you have projects__ to work on the holiday?... I mean... beside __wrapping yourself up in your violin pratices...__."_

_**Beginning of March. End of the third**__** semester.**_

_The breeze felt gentle as Hino Kahoko, a seemingly ordinary second year General Education student at Seiso Academy, leaned on the balcony of the school rooftop. She had just finished the day's private lessons with the best violinist she has ever known; the great yet stoic Tsukimori Len._

_The school year would end very soon__; __leaving no time for the young prodigy to tell his friend about the decisions he made for his future. How would he be able to tell that person with whom he had unexpectedly been attached to____that he would soon be leaving Seisou, would soon be leaving Japan, would soon be leaving __**her**__... to study aboard in England. _

_As he turned to look at her, he saw the smile that he had grown to like. He returned to his usual asperity, to his usual cold and disagreeable character, and said, "I don't want to waste my time daydreaming about the projects for the holiday. I could choose to practice my violin instead.__"_

_What else could he say?_

"_Tsukimori-kun, do you think that you__ would be able to help me with my practices during the holidays? If it's only for some times..."_

_And once again, he would have said "If you want me to" but he remembered he'll be gone by the first week of the holiday. So he said,_

"_I'm sorry Hino, but I don't know if I'll have time for you. I'll probably be really busy..."_

_Lies, more lies. No, he's not going tell her. It would be easier for both of them if she would hate him. For then he wouldn't have a reason to remember an illusory friendship anymore. __With hate in her heart, it would be easier for Hino to forget about him. Yes, that is what he would give her. A clean break._

_And yet, he couldn't help but wonder whether she thinks about him. In her every day, does she get to think of him? Could Hino be thinking of a fool too proud to even be able to express his felings?_

_No, there was no way he was going to tell her._

**E****ND OF FLASH-BACK**

And before diving in a slumber full with his memories, he whispered a word he wished he never had to say:

"Farewell"


	2. How can I tell Her?

**Hello everyone,**

**Thank you very much for revieuwing (especially Pathetic Rainbow and sera-chan wich are two of my favourite authors)**

**Thanks to the great work of **_**ariadne-chan**_**, you have here what I think is a really good translation of the second chapter, with her personal touch. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2 : How can I tell her ?

**Beginning of April. ****The third day after start of the school year. After class.**

Kahoko was passing by the soccer field, her mind full of thoughts when a blur of green caught her attention. She turned around upon hearing a voice call out :

"Hino? Why are you heading towards the Music Department?"

"Ah! Hello Tsuchiura-kun! Well, I haven't seen Tsukimori-kun since school started three days ago... I'd like to hear from him...How his holiday and practices went..."

As she said so, a light blush could be seen coloring her cheeks. But, why the hell was she blushing? It's normal to ask some news to a friend you haven't seen for three weeks, isn't it? Then, what was she embarrassed for?

**FLASH-BACK**

_Kahoko had noticed the Len had returned to his usual stoicism as the school year neared its end._

_During their private lessons, she came to know him better, little by little. He was becoming a lot more gentler, although he kept his strict attitude during practices. She had been able to catch little smiles he permitted himself (how discreet they are, and yet so cute) as he observed her attentively. She had grown to appreciate those golden eyes which were no more as rough when he stared at her. There was something in those eyes that puzzled and dazzled her, though she didn't know why and what it is that is making her heart beat fast_

_But several days ago he had returned to the mask he wore before he knew her; returned into the expressionless, indifferent mask that he maintained to keep other people away from him._

'_Why?'____she had asked herself several times. __Deep in her mind, she knew that Len was keeping something from her. _

_But what could she do? Who was she to dare ask him questions? Could she only consider herself as his friend?_

_If the only thing she could do for him to feel better was to do her best to become a good violinist, then she would do it gladly, and with a smile. _

_And that was why she chose to enjoy the things as they happened, enjoyed the moments between her and Len; even the quiet moments. She chose to be herself, for Len, despite the little deception that she felt but couldn't quite explain..._

"_Tsukimori-kun, do you think that you would be able to help me with my practices during the holidays? If it's only for some time..."_

"_I'm sorry Hino, but I don't know if I'll have time for you. I'll probably be really busy..."_

_What she couldn't explain was why he offered to help her with her violin practices__. In the first place, they had worked on improving her playing because of the concours she had participated in, but after that, the practices continued until the end of the year. Was it a product of habit? A product of a little getting used to?_

_But now... Was she that much of a burden that he wouldn't waste his time teaching her?_

_And so the year ended with that confusing situation__. They bid each other a great time during the holidays, avoiding meeting each other's eyes, and deliberately refusing to notice the sad tone in their voice._

_Kahoko had decided to refrain from bothering Tsukimori-kun__ during the holidays; she had decided to wait for him to contact her if he wished; if ever he would have a bit of a spare time. And although she didn't really count on it...she had decided to do so._

_The outings with her friends, Nao and Mio...the slumber party Fuyuumi-chan and Amou-san hosted...a week at the sea-side with her family and an afternoon watching and cheering for Hihara-senpai and Tsu__chiura-kun as they played a one on one basketball match--all of these prevented her from thinking about her lessons, and of Tsukimori-kun himself, but of course, she never failed to practice playing her violin every time she could._

'_What would Tsukimori-kun say if I didn't practice during the holidays?'_

_She smiled to herself at the thought of his frowned face, ready to sermon her._

"_What were you thinking Hino, wasting your time all these three week instaed of practicing your violin? You'__ll forgot everything you had hardly learned before the holidays!"_

_Yes... He would probably say something like that._

_And that's why she did her best with her pratcices to show him what she was capable to do._

**END OF FLASH-BACK**

Kahoko got herself out of her transe to discover, to her surprise, Ryoutarou's half-mad and half-worried face.

"Tsuchiura-kun...? Is something wrong...?"

_'So that stupid guy didn't tell her anything! What was he thinking, leaving the task of telling her the news to me? Tsukimori, you bloody coward. Where did that pride of yours go? Besides, you're leaving me the worst role to play...I wonder how she's going to react...'_

She snapped her hand in front of his face, making him let go of his mundane thought.

"Tsuchiura-kun?"

"A-ah, sorry, I was spacing out..." he said with a nervous laugh. "If you're looking for Tsukimori, he's not here".

At the sight of Kahoko lowering her eyes with a worried look on her face, he convinced himsel that that was the moment for him to tell her everything :

"Hino, may you wait until the end of my training?... There is... something I have to tell you."

"Oh... Well, I don't mind..." she said, raising her head with a slight frown on her face.

---

She sat on a bench while she waited for Tsuchiura-kun to finish his field practice. She couldn't help but wonder what he has to tell her :

'_What does he have to tell me with the anxious look of his? And even more strangely, how did he know about Tsukimori-kun's absence? They're not really getting along that well...'_

Her Gen-Ed partner in crime was not long to come back to the bench she was waiting on.

"Let's go have a wolk, okay?"

"O-okay". By the look on her face, he could guess she was curious to know what he wanted to tell her.

He had to prepare his words properly. Ryoutarou knew that it would probably upset her... She used to spend a lot of time with Tsukimori before the holidays, his opinion became really important to her and she even told the pianist that she admired the blue-haired guy and that she liked his melodies very much. The soccer player had of course noticed her growing attachment for that little _bocchama_ (how he liked to call him).

At the end of all his reflections, they arrived at the park. The park was almost empty of people, surprising for a breezy afternoon when a lot of people would have loved to stroll around. He found a wooden bench surrounded by trees, and he asked silently to sit down to his friend, wich unexpectedly kept her mouth shut during the entire course of their walk.

Standing right in front of her, picking his words carefully,he took a deep breath.


	3. Hello Sadness

**Hey, here's the third chapter! Hope you will enjoy it.**

**And it's thanks to **_**ariadne-chan**_** great great work!**

Chapter 3 : Hello Sadness

Ryoutarou studied her face before taking a deep breath and sighed.

"Before I tell you everything, I'd like to ask you something... Did Tsukimori ever tell you anything about his plans for the future?"

Kahoko stared back at him, like it was the first time she'd seen him. '_Strange. Since when did Tsuchiura-kun worry about Tsukimori-kun's plans? Now that's definitely strange...'_

He noticed her weirded-out look, and decided to press his case. "Answer first, then I'll explain."

She hesitated, and then said:

"Well, no... You know, when I'm with Tsukimori-kun, I'm the one who speak most of the time. Oh, of course I do that when we're not practicing the violin..."

She smiled at the detail. She had never really given much thought about Tsukimori-kun's patience with her, until now.

At the sight of her wistful smile, Ryoutarou guessed that it would definitely be hard for him to tell her what he had to say, but he decided to get on with it anyway.

When Kakhoko noticed him sigh, she asked him naively:

"But why are you asking me? He would become a world-renowned violinist without any doubt. He would then go on world tours, ne, Tsuchiura-kun?"

"And that leads us to what I wanted to tell you..." he broke off, hesitant to go on.

Confused and curious at the same time, she decided to ask :

"What is it with Tsukimori-kun?"

"Hino... You see... The reason why Tsukimori wasn't at school these days is..."

He turned on his heel and she stared at his broad back. The feeling of fright and worry that something bad might have happened to her friend made her heart twist, and she fidgeted on her seat. She had to ask if he was alright, whether he—

"... that he's not in Japan anymore!"

He'd said it in one shot, one breath, a little louder than expected. He slowly turned around to face her and his heart ached at the sight of her face.

Kahoko was petrified, mortified even; she could have imagined everything but that possibility.

'_But... he didn't tell me__ anything! Where did he go? And not even a word of goodbye? When shall I see him again?'_

She caught sight of Tsuchiura's worried face, and she composed her expression into something that should have conveyed a calmness she did not feel during that time. She struggled to smile and Tsuchiura spoke again, this time even more softly.

"He left to study abroad in England. He'll probably attend a University there. I was...hoping he would tell of his immediate plans before his departure..."

Kahoko smiled a painful smile and looked away.

"Why should he tell me? We're not...really that close. It's not like he owes me anything--not like he ought to tell me everything. Besides, that is so like Tsukimori-kun, right? Keeping things to himself. I'm grateful that he took the time to help me, though. And...he probably thought it best and unnecessary to tell me..."

Her voice lowered at the same time as her head. A feeling of irritation coursed through her, and she tried to swallow only to find her throat blocked, she claimed:

"And what does his being here or not do with anything? Nothing's changed, right? Anyway, you really didn't get along with him well. And me...I was just a petty Gen-Ed student who's wasting his time. It's not like I'll miss him or anything, with that icy attitude of his!"

"Hino... You're crying...". He said as he just stated the obvious.

Then she noticed it. Several minutes ago, her vision had blurred but she didn't felt the tears running on her cheeks until now.

'_Eh... Eeeeh? Why __the hell am I crying? Why do I feel so... sad?"_

"What the... Why...?"

She felt the pianist's big hand on her head, patting gently as he tried to console her, and he whispered:

"Idiot..."

Kahoko raised her head and looked at him with eyes still blurry from the tears that wouldn't stop coming.

"Cry, Hino..." he continued, "Don't hold your feelings back. Come on, cry, I don't mind. I honestly understand how you feel. And if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there. Always."

As she couldn't hold it anymore, the red-haired violinist started sobbing hard in his arms and she kept repeating the same questions.

"Why did he leave?"

"Why didn't he tell me anything?"

"Why do I feel hurt when I think that perhaps I would never see him again?"

With a little hesitation but in all sincerity, Ryoutarou said softly:

"Idiot... isn't it obvious?"

Perhaps he never would have the chance to love her like a man loves a woman, but one thing he knew. He would protect her like a big brother protecting his precious and frail little sister.

**THE SPOTLIGHT WILL BE ON TSUKIMORI IN THE NEXT CHAPTER ^^**

**The next chapter takes place more than 4 months later.**


	4. Under a Willow Tree

**Hello hello everybody!**

**Here you go with the 4****th**** chapter.**

**I really hope you'll like it because **_**ariadne-chan**_** did an absolutely wonderful work with the translation!**

Chapter 4 : Under a Willow Tree

**Beginning of August. England. Afternoon.**

When you take a walk along one of the chic, residential areas in London, you would see a lot of beautiful mansions with large, pruned lawns and beautifully maintained trees and gardens reminiscent of the renaissance period sprawled in abundance. Among them was a charming villa, a sight to behold, and yet it seemed more sober than the others. It belonged to foreigners who usually came twice a year. But for some reason, for more than four months already, the house had been occupied.

The people who passed by noticed an open window on the first floor where they would occassionaly hear someone skillfully playing the violin. Each found the music absolutely magnificent; it was of an exquisite delicacy and all those who heard it felt taken by a feeling of misery from the person who produced so melancholic a melody.

Tsukimori Len leaned against the hard window pane and raised his eyes to the sky. The birds perched on a nearby tree seemed to observe him; their heads cocked to one side as if they were wondering what he could be thinking. He sighed and bent his head to meticulously lose himself on his books.

He had a lot of things to do and was almost happy about the whole thing. Having arrived at the end of the school year, he had refused to spend his time doing nothing, almost obsessively hunting for things to do in between diligently working on his practices, studying and getting used to his English surroundings.

For the time being, he had spent his summer holidays studying to be at the same level as the students he would be with for the next year.

Luckily, he didn't need to put that much of an effort, thanks to his clever and logical nature. And, as he had worked hard not to let it happen, he hadn't so much as a minute to think about his life in Japan. _And what he left behind._

Today, however, was an exception. Today was the hottest day of the summer, and the violinist had done everything in his power not to let the heat get to him, but, defeated, he admitted that he indeed would have a hard time concentrating.

'_Well..I guess a little repose won't hurt...'_

He inhaled what little fresh air the window provided, and he laid himself down on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a mixture of contemplation and fascination. He had not realized how tired he was until now. But after giving a second thought on it, he realized that it wasn't actually that surprising. With a stern command, he forced himself to keep his lucidity for the rest of the day.

In fact, he was afraid. He was afraid that in a dazing moment, in a single moment when he would allow his mind to wander, his mind would lead him back to his country, the blossoming Cherry Trees, the peaceful sound of the Ave Maria...scarlet hair dancing in the mid-summer breeze...

The moment he opened his eyes again, the day light had already lowered. Len felt sick; he felt too hot, and he sweated a lot. The heat was never good for him. At the sight of his messy sheets, he had deduced he had been a little...delirious in his slumber. _Lost in the memories he had tried to leave behind._

He regretted losing to his tiredness--he hated those moments of weaknesses when his memories would come back in a flash. He felt alone...and sad.

To get rid of those undesirable and unwanted feelings, the young man took a quick, cold shower before going out to breathe the fresh air in the neighborhood. His parents had spent a week in Germany; nobody would get worried in his absence. _No one would ever worry._

With that temper of his, Len always prefered the cool evening air and he rather liked it when the light of the moon bathed and reflected on his pale skin. But right now, it was summer, and the sun would only begin to set then. By that time, the streets were almost deserted of life; families were gathered either on their gardens or the terraces to eat supper together. _Together._

Len could only wander quietly, his violin case on hand, as he emptied his mind of mundane thoughts by listening to the sound of the leaves in the light wind. His steps lead him to a circular park surrounded by oak trees. There were several straggling lawns and flower beds.

Even the usually surly and cold-hearted Tsukimori Len couldn't help but feel awe at the beauty of the place. Even he couldn't resist its charm.

In the middle stood a colossal and majestic Willow Tree; the tree which would probably agree the best to the sound of his violin. He had a sudden desire to play.

Len approached the tree slowly, admiring the fall of each leaf, only to stop on his tracks...only to close his eyes, at the sound of the melody he just heard. The light wind which accompanied him and his violin at the beginning of his promenade brought him back the faint notes of a pristine music...

'_That reminds me...of something...of somebody...'_

The notes were not distinct enough for him to recognize the piece which is undoubtedly being played by...a violin. _A violin._

And at that moment, he was filled with the immeasurable hope of seeing the person whom he missed the most in the world. _What he would give to see her again..._

He began to walk again...quite uncertainly...taking care of his steps...slowly...very slowly. He didn't want to miss a note of the piece that he cherished the most among the others.

_'The Ave Maria...Don't be silly, Len, you must be dreaming! You are still delirious because of the warmth of this afternoon!'_

And yet; the music was for real, and it was coming from the curtain of leaves of the Willow Tree--on the other side of its massive trunk. His heart was beating faster and louder by the minute..._It couldn't be...It couldn't--_

'_That manner of playing...No, it's impossible, Len! Pull yourself together! The person who's playing right now can't possibly be...'_

"Hino..."

He couldn't help but whisper her name. It was her; he would recognize her playing among another thousand. He drew the branches back and didn't dare move from his side of the tree. He didn't want to look yet, not now, by fear of letting his hopes down. He turned his back to the trunk, took his violin out of the case, and tenderly...he began to accompany the other person playing the Ave Maria. It was exactly like that unforgettable night at the Fuyuumi Villa.

_Feelings...more than ever._

For the first time in more than four months, he felt himself live through his music; and he missed it more than he could have thought he would.

**Next time, the final chapter!**


	5. Midsummer Night's Dream

**The Final...**

**Yes it's the end. I'm sorry, I wish I could make it longer but my imagination is not wild enough ^^**

**I really hope you appreciate this little story I writed...**

**SPECIAL THANKS:**

**To **_**ariadne-chan**_**, you did it great!!! I'll never thank you enough for this... more than awesome translation. I really enjoyed working with you!**

**And to the so kind revieuwers ****cherri-027****, Moonlight Nocturne, Pathtic Rainbow, OreoFudge'D, -sera-chan011-, Luna Rei Harmony, kyrria's notebook, annalisemarie99, emjhey, Nerizu, moonshine-79 and micchyhanasu!**

Chapter 5 : Midsummer Night's Dream

The soft melody came to an end; subtly replaced by the quaint silence of the falling night. Len didn't know what to do —he was still afraid that what just happened was nothing more than a product of combined tiredness and wild imagination. He dared not look on the other side of the trunk for fear of not finding her there.

His thoughts were drowned when another sound reached him—the voice which was melody to his ears; the voice he had longed to hear for such a long time after he left.

"I have prepared a little monologue for the moment when I would be able to see you again...Funny how actually being here made me forget about everything," she said with a nervous, little laugh. "I don't know whether I should hate you for not telling me anything...Although to tell you the truth...That's exactly what I felt the moment Tsuchiura-kun told me you're gone."

'_Oh, I see that now...so the pianist arranged this. I must admit, even if my pride wouldn't let me say it...I would prefer her knowing the truth from him than from anyone else...'_

Being in good terms with the pianist, even if it's only a thought, seemed a bit strange to him, and so he chose to focus instead on the melodic voice that was now telling him how she managed to live during the last four months without him.

"I really tried hard not to think about it; I don't even know how I managed to go through those first few weeks. The only thing I could do was to lock myself inside the practice rooms and play my violin for hours. I could tell that my friends were worried sick about me; I'm no tough cookie or an emotionless freak. Tsuchiura-kun took care of me then—he took the time to take me out; to make me forget about things even if it's just for a few hours. I'm really thankful for everything he did for me..."

'_Don't tell me that she came here just to tell me how happy she is with him and that she never would want to hear from me anymore? But on second thought...it's quite possible. I never did anything to make her... " love me" ?'_

The young violinist began feeling anxious at the thought—depressed as he was with it than he had dared to be. He tried to clear his head. No, never again would he think about him and Tsuchiura being in good terms with each other.

"...but even that failed to fill the hole I felt on my chest. I didn't have to tell Tsuchiura-kun anything. That was a fact he understood and respected. After talking to him, though, I realized something. Something really important. That there is only one person who can fill up the hole that took place in my heart."

Then, Tsukimori Len felt like he was living the most magical moment of his life. A simple and hesitant turn of the head revealed what seemed like an apparition. On the other side of the tree she stood, her flaming hair waving like a silken scarf in the midsummer night's breeze. Dressed in a simple white dress with a light tinge of red on her cheeks brought on by the surge of emotion, she looked almost ethereal.

"Hino..."

'_Oh Lord, please, tell me __that this is not a dream!'_

At that very moment, he wasn't the usual cold and stoic Tsukimori; he even failed to mask his face and guard his expression. Quite the contrary, for all the raging and differing emotions overwhelmed him and made his expression quite indefinable.

"Tsukimori-kun, I have waited for months to come and meet you here, just so I would be finally able to tell you..."

Disbelief clouded his thoughts, and she blushed even more as she lowered her head.

"Tsukimori-kun, I-" she couldn't finish.

Despite the short distance between them, the young man **s**trode forward to take her in his arms.

"Hino..."

Again and again, he whispered her name to her ear. The tenderness and emotion she felt in his hushed words was almost tangible, and she made to clutch his shirt desperately; to hold him the closest way possible. It was the first time he ever held her in his arms, and she knew by then that she would never want to be anywhere else for anything in the world.

"I love you"

Her eyes widened just as he said the words. For weeks, she had prepared herself for the moment when she would be able to tell him how she feels, but now he had interrupted her and confessed to her in an almost inaudible whisper.

They leaned away from each other; just enough to sink in each other's eyes. They held their breaths as inches by inches they closed the distance between each other's flushed faces. And at the last second, she whispered the four words that were the most melodic words the boy ever heard in his life.

And so, sheltered from the eyes of the rest of the world, under the curtain of the dancing branches of a Willow Tree, Tsukimori Len and Hino Kahoko gave themselves their first kiss.

**Goodbye everybody, thanks for taking the time to read this story and for the revieuws!**

**It really makes me happy ^^**

**Take care,**

**Llyza**


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